Have you ever noticed that our culture doesn’t know how to wait? We live in a fast-paced, tech-saturated world with everything at our fingertips. We have grown accustomed to instant updates, immediate notifications, and every answer only seconds away from a Google search. We have texting, games and social media to fill the void of our bored moments. No longer do we have to simply wait.

But in all this instant gratification and lack of waiting, I sometimes wonder…

As Christians, there are times when we must wait and the waiting isn’t always easy. Whether it’s waiting for the right person to marry, the right job, the chance to start a family, delayed diagnoses or prayed-for healings, waiting without a healthy, biblical perspective can be disappointing and sad, to say the very least. Is there a path to a more joyful existence while we wait for the fruition of God’s promises and our own hopes and dreams?

Allow me to share five ways to find joy in the waiting.

Commit Your Desire to God.

When Abraham sent his servant off to find a wife for Isaac in Genesis 24, the servant arrived at his destination and the first thing he did was pray. He committed the cause to God. The servant intended to wait on Him, not to rush off and take matters into his own hands. He prayed and sat under the leadership and authority of God.

There is no safer place for the desire of your heart than in the capable hands of the Savior.

Pray about your circumstance and leave the matter to God. This doesn’t mean that at times you won’t be required to take action, but by committing your desire to God and yielding to Him, you leave the burden, the heartache and timing to Him. You can rest in the fact that God is in control. He sees you, knows you and will not forget you. The active choice of choosing to wait on Him alleviates the stress and allows joy to surface.

Use the Time of Waiting Wisely.

While you are in the “waiting room,” consider how you can make these days fruitful.

Let Him show you how you need to stretch and grow to be more like His Son. Don’t squander your days pining away rather make good use of this time. Try journaling. As you do, you can look back and find joy in the growth and progress you have made.

However Long the Season of Waiting, Seek out Opportunities to Serve Others.

No matter what your circumstance, good always comes of being a blessing to others. If your world has shrunken to your situation and yours alone, then seeing the challenges others face can bring a new perspective and fresh outlook. Helping others will bring balance to your time of waiting.

Be Game for the Journey.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 84:5, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.” This life is a journey, full of mountain top highs and valley lows. When you can see this time of waiting as a season in the pilgrimage of life, you will be able to behold the bigger picture and draw strength from the Lord.

Persevere in Keeping your Eyes on the King of Kings.

In Matthew 14, when Peter stepped onto the water to meet Jesus, he was doing fine . . . until he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the waves. What happened? He began to sink. In your situation, how can you focus more on Jesus and less on the waves? Try putting scripture verses around your house or change your phone’s wallpaper to an encouraging verse. Keeping your eyes on Jesus will help you avoid the fear, disappointment and loneliness of a wave-side view.

No matter what you’re waiting for, know the Lord is good and always has your best at heart. He is trustworthy and He is faithful. He will be the source of all joy found in waiting.

A little about Kristen Tiber:

Kristen and her husband, Dan, met on a blind date fifteen years ago. Two years later, they married and now have two elementary-aged children. Kristen has a degree in Christian Thought/Christian Ministry and spent many years in part-time and volunteer youth work, yet God led her in a different direction for her professional career. For seven years, Kristen worked with countless couples as a wedding planner.

She loves Jesus, planning parties and teaching youth and young adults to follow God with their whole heart. Kristen has been blogging for six years and is the author of Teach Me to Serve. Currently, she and her husband teach the high school Sunday School class at their church.

Visiting from Tune in Thursday. Such good reminders of ways to wait. I especially like the verse from Psalm 84. Yes, life is a journey filled with ups and downs, but no matter where it takes us we serve a Lord who loves us!

It’s so hard to be patient in God’s waiting room, but seasons of waiting are important for our growth. If we can remember that God is sovereign, then we’ll realize that what we think are delays are really just orchestrated by the Lord for our good. Thanks!

Great tips! It is so important to learn to wait well. I used to be terrible at waiting. One of the best things I ever did was step into ministry while I was waiting. I thought I had found my ministry in missions, but circumstances prevented me from going. I had to wait until the time was right. I stepped in and served in Women’s Ministry and ironically one thing led to another, and now I serve women. I am still waiting to go on another mission trip. I think I can now. Thank you for sharing over at Grace and Truth.

I like the thought of “being game for the journey”. The entire journey! Too often I want to skip the hard parts of the journey…and this post reminded me to expect the hard with the good and even appreciate those times.

Thanks for sharing yet another great author and her writing. You’re opening up my world to so many new people. This post was great. We do all have to wait 🙁 finding joy in the midst of waiting is the key. Praying you have a blessed weekend!
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo